Precautions Precautions Your QY8 will give you years of reliable service if you follow the simple rules given below: ■ Location Do not expose the instrument to the following conditions to avoid deformation, discoloration, or more serious damage. • • • • • Direct sunlight (e.g. near a window). High temperatures (e.g. near a heat source, outside, or in a car during the daytime). Excessive humidity. Excessive dust. Strong vibration.
Precautions ■ Cleaning • • • • Clean the cabinet and panel with a dry soft cloth. A slightly damp cloth may be used to remove stubborn grime and dirt. Never use cleaners such as alcohol or thinner. Avoid placing vinyl objects on top of the instrument (vinyl can stick to and discolor the surface). You may notice one or more fine diagonal lines on the panel of your QY8. These are unavoidable in the manufacturing process and are not scratches or defects in the product.
About This Manual About This Manual The following simple icons are used throughout this manual to draw attention to important points and information where necessary. The icons also make it easier to differentiate between information that you should read immediately and information that can be skipped until later, hopefully helping you to become familiar with the QY8 in the quickest, most efficient manner possible.
Contents 1 Contents 2 2 Setting Up: Power & Connections .................................. 5 Power Supply ................................. 5 Setting Up Your System ................. 8 Delete Measure ............................ 51 Create Measure ............................ 53 Copy Measure .............................. 54 Mix Part ....................................... 57 Transpose ..................................... 59 Clear Song ................................... 60 Data Out ...................
1 The QY8: What It Is & What It Can Do What It Is … The QY8 is an easy-to-use music production tool with tone generator, sequencer, and auto-accompaniment (including drum machine) capability all integrated with a user-friendly control interface. In short, it provides everything you need to create great-sounding accompaniments or complete songs.
The QY8: What It Is & What It Can Do ■ Accompaniment With the QY8 accompaniments are produced by specifying a sequence of “styles” and chord changes rather than by recording individual notes ( page 26). The QY8 has 50 preset styles (each with 6 variations) that you can simply select and use to create accompaniments in a wide variety of musical idioms ( page 18). Accompaniments consist of four “parts”: the chord 1 and chord 2 parts, a bass part, and a drum part.
The QY8: What It Is & What It Can Do What It Can Do … Here are a few ideas on how you can use the QY8. There’s no way we can cover all possibilities, but the ideas presented might help to spark some new and interesting applications. ■ A Super Practice Tool Create accompaniments that you can practice with on your guitar, keyboard, or any other instrument (vocals too, of course). That way you have the advantage of practicing with a bass line and chords instead of just a metronome or drum machine ( page 26).
2 Setting Up: Power & Connections Power Supply Your QY8 will run either from an optional AC adaptor or batteries. Follow the instructions below according to the power source you intend to use. ■ Using a Power Adaptor Plug the DC output cable from a Yamaha PA-1B or PA-3 AC Adaptor (available from your Yamaha dealer) into the DC IN jack on the rear panel, then plug the adaptor into a convenient wall AC power outlet. CAUTION • Do not attempt to use an AC adaptor other than the Yamaha PA-1B or PA-3.
Setting Up: Power & Connections ■ Using Batteries Six 1.5V AA size (SUM-3 or R6P) or equivalent manganese or alkaline batteries must first be installed in the battery compartment. 1. Open Battery Compartment Cover Open the battery compartment cover — located on the instrument’s bottom panel — by pressing down on the grooved section of the cover and sliding in the direction of the arrow, as shown in the illustration. 2.
Setting Up: Power & Connections ■ When to Replace the Batteries When the batteries run down and are no longer able to operate the QY8, the sound may become distorted and the following display will appear: Battery Err When this display appears, replace the batteries with a complete set of six new batteries.
Setting Up: Power & Connections Setting Up Your System What you will connect the QY8 to, and what you will connect to the QY8, will depend entirely on your individual requirements, and it would be impossible to cover all possibilities here. A few examples are provided below to help you get started. ■ The Connectors 1 2 3 1 PHONES/LINE OUT Jack Any pair of stereo headphones with a miniature stereo phone plug can be plugged in here for convenient monitoring.
Setting Up: Power & Connections 3 DC IN Jack This jack is only used when you are powering the QY8 from an optional AC adaptor instead of batteries. The DC output cable from an optional Yamaha PA-1B or PA-3 AC Power Adaptor is plugged in here. The batteries are automatically disconnected when a plug is inserted into the DC IN jack. DETAIL ■ Audio Connections The simplest way to monitor the QY8 sound is via a pair of stereo headphones (miniature stereo phone plug type) plugged into the PHONES/LINE OUT jack.
3 Getting to Know the QY8: How the Controls Work The QY8 has fairly simple, consistent control interface that, once understood, makes operation fast and easy, no matter what operation you are performing. If you read through this section carefully you should have no problem accessing and operating the QY8’s many advanced features. 4 3 5 2 h 6 g j ;t 7 Left Side Panel 1 1 POWER Switch Slide to the “ON” position to turn the QY8 on, and to the “OFF” position to turn it off.
Getting to Know the QY8: How the Controls Work 3 Cursor Buttons U p L e f t R i g h t These 4 buttons move the “cursor” around the display screen, selecting the various parameters that are available for editing (the selected parameter or symbol will flash). D o w n 4 [ - 1 ] and [ + 1 ] Buttons These buttons are used to edit (change the value of) the parameter at which the cursor is currently located.
Getting to Know the QY8: How the Controls Work 4 3 5 2 h 6 g j ;t 7 7 Sequencer Buttons The sequencer buttons control playback of the accompaniment and sequencer parts (also real-time recording of the sequencer parts), and allow you to locate a specific measure and beat within a song. Their layout and functions are similar to the transport controls on a tape recorder. h ;t g j P la y /S to p L o c a te 1 M E A S U R E b a r T o p P l a y / S t o p : Starts and stops playback.
Getting to Know the QY8: How the Controls Work Right Side Panel 8 8 VOLUME Control The VOLUME control adjusts the volume of the sound delivered via the PHONES/LINE OUT jack. Slide the control toward “MAX.” to increase the volume or toward “MIN.” to decrease the volume. CAUTION Set the VOLUME control to “MIN.” when connecting the QY8 to a sound system for the first time, then gradually raise the volume level until the required listening level is reached.
Getting to Know the QY8: How the Controls Work Play the Demo Now that you’re set up and are basically familiar with the controls, try playing the built-in demonstration to hear what the QY8 can do. 1. Select the SONG SELECT Mode Use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to the SONG SELECT pointer (▲). The song select pointer should flash. 02Dance 2. Select the Demo Song Use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to select song number “00Demo”.
Getting to Know the QY8: How the Controls Work 3. Start Playback Press the [;/t] button to start playback — the demo will playback repeatedly until stopped. You may need to adjust the VOLUME control to set a comfortable listening level. 00DEMO0 ;t IMPORTANT 4. If you attempt to move the cursor when the demo song is selected, the “SngDEMO Err” error message will appear on the display. No other parameters can be accessed or changed while the demo song is selected.
Getting to Know the QY8: How the Controls Work 5. Exit Use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to select a song number other than “00” to exit from the demo mode. 20***** Play the Initial Song Data Songs 1 through 15 initially contain a variety of accompaniments and chord progressions in a range of musical styles. These are provided as examples of the types of accompaniment that the QY8 can produce. Songs 16 through 20 contain only the default style. DETAIL 1.
4 The Elements That Make Up a Song The Basics: A QY8 “SONG” consists of two main sections: 1: An accompaniment created using pre-programmed “styles”. You specify chord changes and repeats as required. 2: Four “parts” (similar to sequencer tracks) on which you can record melody lines, counter lines, or just about anything you like using the QY8 voices.
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song Styles Styles are pre-programmed basic accompaniment patterns which include two chord parts, a bass part, and a rhythm part. The QY8 has 50 basic styles, each with six “sections” — an introduction, main pattern A (usually a good choice for the “verse” of a song), main pattern B (a good choice for the “bridge” or “chorus”), a fill-in leading from main pattern A to B, a fill-in leading from main pattern B to A, and an ending. ■ Try Out the QY8 Styles 1.
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song 3. Select a Style Move the cursor down to the style name and use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to select a style (it is also possible to select a style while the cursor is positioned at the STYLE pointer). DETAIL 4. Start Playback ;t DETAIL 5. • Normally the currently set tempo is retained when you change styles. To select a style and call its default tempo, hold the up cursor button while selecting the style.
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song Abbreviation Section F BA A fill-in leading from section “B” to “A”. One measure long. Will always go to main section “A” when finished. End Ending. 2 … 4 measures long. Playback stops when the ending section finishes unless a different section is entered in the measure immediately following the ending. 03House FAB 6.
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song HINT 7. If you move the cursor to the TEMPO parameter you can use the [ - 1 ] and [ + 1 ] buttons to set the playback tempo to anywhere from 30 to 250 beats per minute. The 1 MEASURE pointer will jump from beat to beat in time with the selected tempo. Stop Playback Press the [;/t] button to stop playback when you’re done.
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song 3. Set the Volume Use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to set the volume as required (you can do this while the cursor is located at the STYLE pointer or at the VOLUME parameter). The volume range is from 0 to 127. A setting of “0” produces no sound, while “127” produces maximum volume. The default volume setting is “100”. 4. Exit Move the cursor to the STYLE pointer and press [ENTER] or any cursor button to return to the normal style entry mode.
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song Chord Type (Key of C) NameontheLCD blank (M) Major Minor Seventh Minor seventh Major seventh Minor major seventh Seventh suspended fourth Suspended fourth Diminished Sixth Minor sixth Augmented Added ninth Minor added ninth Seventh ninth Major seventh ninth Minor seventh ninth Seventh augmented Minor seventh flatted fifth Seventh flatted ninth Seventh sharp ninth Seventh added sharp eleventh Minor seventh added eleventh Seventh added thirt
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song ■ Try Out the QY8 Chords 1. Play a Style Select a style and start playback as described in the preceding section. 2. Select the Chord Entry Mode Move the cursor to the CHORD pointer (▲) to select the chord entry mode. Chord Type Chord Root G000000 000 On-Bass 3. Select a Chord Root Move the cursor down to the chord root and use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to select different chords. 4.
The Basics: The Elements That Make Up a Song y A0m0000 /C0 The on-bass setting is automatically cancelled whenever you change the chord root or type. DETAIL 6. Stop Playback Press the [;/t] button to stop playback when you’re done. The Sequencer Parts The QY8’s internal AWM tone generator provides 40 top-quality voices plus a complete drum kit with different drum and percussion instruments assigned to different notes.
Creating an Accompaniment 5 Creating a complete accompaniment that can be used on its own, or as the basis for a complete song, is a simple process: specify the appropriate style/section changes, chord changes, and repeats. 1. Select a Song Number 1-1. Position the cursor at the SONG SELECT pointer (▲) to select the song selection mode. 1-2. Use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to select the song number you want to record (1 … 20).
Creating an Accompaniment 2. Enter the Styles 2-1. Move the cursor to the STYLE pointer (▲) to select the style entry mode. 01Disco MA0 2-2. Use the [h] and [j] buttons to locate the measure at which you want to enter the first style change, as indicated by the MEASURE number. h j 01Disco M A0 Only one style or section change can be entered per measure, and it will always fall on the first beat of the selected measure. DETAIL 2-3.
Creating an Accompaniment MBå = Main section “B”. FAB = A fill-in leading from section “A” to “B”. FBA = A fill-in leading from section “B” to “A”. End = Ending. 2-4. Press [ENTER] to enter the selected style/section at the current location. A dot will appear on the 1 MEASURE bar to indicate that a style change has been entered at that location. 04Dance MB0 2-5. Repeat steps 2-2 through 2-4 until all required style and section changes have been entered.
Creating an Accompaniment In addition to deleting mistakes as described above, you can use the [UNDO] button to undo the last operation performed — i.e. a mistaken style entry. HINT 3. Enter the Chord Changes 3-1. Move the cursor to the CHORD pointer (▲) to select the chord entry mode. C000000 3-2. Use the [h] and [j] buttons to locate the measure and beat at which you want to enter the first chord change, as indicated by the MEASURE number and 1 MEASURE bar on the display.
Creating an Accompaniment DETAIL • In the chord entry mode the [ h] and [ j] buttons step backward or forward in eighth-note increments when the cursor is located at the 1 MEASURE pointer, and in quarter-note increments when the cursor is in any other position. The [ h] and [ j] buttons step backward or forward in one-measure increments when the cursor is located at the CHORD pointer. • Chords can be entered on any eighth-note division of any measure. 3-3.
Creating an Accompaniment Deleting Chord Changes To delete a chord change, move the cursor to the dot on the 1 MEASURE bar corresponding to the change you want to delete, then press the [ENTER] button. An alternative method is to use the [h] and [j] buttons to locate the chord to be deleted, select the “blank” chord (indicated by a row of flashing blocks), and press [ENTER]. 4. Enter an End Mark and Repeats 4-1. Move the cursor to the REPEAT pointer (▲) to select the repeat entry mode.
Creating an Accompaniment ||: Start repeat. Marks the beginning of a section of the song which is to be repeated. Must be used in conjunction with an end repeat (:||) mark, or first ending (¡–1) and second ending (:||¡02) marks. Automatically entered at the beginning of the current measure when the [ENTER] button is pressed. :|| End repeat and number of repeats. Marks the end of a section of the song which is to be repeated. Must be used in conjunction with a preceding start repeat (||:) mark.
Creating an Accompaniment 4-4. Press [ENTER] to enter the selected end mark or repeat at the current measure. A dot will appear on the 1 MEASURE bar to indicate that an end mark or repeat has been entered at that location. 4-5. Repeat steps 4-2 through 4-4 until all required repeats have been entered. Deleting Repeats To delete a repeat, move the cursor to the dot on the 1 MEASURE bar corresponding to the change you want to delete, then press the [ENTER] button.
Creating an Accompaniment 1700000 5-2. Press [g] to make sure you start at the first measure of the song, then press [;/t] to start playback. If you’ve entered an end mark or ending section, playback will stop automatically. Otherwise, press the [;/t] to stop playback at any time. ■ Entering a Song Name When you’ve created a satisfactory accompaniment you might want to give your song an original name: Song names can be up to 5 characters long. DETAIL 1.
Creating an Accompaniment 1700000 3. Select a Character Use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to select the first character for the song name. The available characters are listed below: (Space) !"#$%&'()*+,-.0123456789:;<=>?@ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[¯]^_£ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}‘“ 4. Move to the Next Character & Repeat Move the cursor to the next character position and repeat the selection process. Continue until the entire song name has been entered.
Programming the Sequencer Parts 6 Once you’ve created an accompaniment, you might like to add a melody line and other parts that will finish off your composition. Melody lines and other musical elements can be recorded using the QY8’s four “parts”, as described below. It’s also possible to use only the four parts, without an accompaniment. 1.
Programming the Sequencer Parts 3. Assign a Voice to the Selected Part With the cursor either at the PART pointer or the voice name, use the [-1] and [+1] buttons to select the voice you want to use for the selected part. DETAIL 4. • You can also set the volume of the selected part by moving the cursor to the VOLUME parameter below the voice name and using the [ - 1 ] and [ + 1 ] buttons to set a value between 0 (no sound) and 127 (maximum volume).